Burn
by Era Blackwell
Summary: AU He'd always hated fire. It did nothing but consume and take. But no one could deny that it didn't give people hope and warmth. So... maybe burning wasn't so bad a fate.
1. The Beginning of the End

**Era: Hello! This is the start/preview/prologue of my first fanfiction, Burn. Please review and enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Prologue: The Begging of the End **

Daath was generally very quiet at night. From the city, the faint sounds of monsters howling would barely reach citizens' ears, making the threat feel further off than it actually was. The hustle and bustle of the city rose and died with the sun. Nobody was out at night, excluding a few stragglers, beggars, and questionable characters. Of course, the city had a few dim lights here and there, but it could (literally) barely hold a candle to the safety and security the daytime brought.

And this was the sort of night where the city seemed devoid of any sort of life.

And this was the sort of night that he loved, and hated, all at the same time.

When he could be alone.

He aimlessly wandered the streets. His short, fiery red hair swaying slightly with each step he took, a black mask firmly placed over his face. His black red-trimmed coat replaced his normal Oracle Knights uniform, but his sword unwavering at his back.

From a bystanders point of view, he looked about sixteen or seventeen, and carried himself in a way that was submissive, but still held great determination and energy. Almost in a child-like manor. His demeanor was soft and warm, but sad and troubled, as well.

There was much talk about him in the city. Nearly everyone had heard about the young and mysterious prodigy that came from nowhere nearly seven years ago and soared through the ranks of the Oracle Knights, but never once had he been seen without his mask. The boy frequently had stupid teenage boys or drunkards attack him to try and take his mask off him. It was all very annoying, but tolerable.

(Well, until about two years ago when the prodigy Sync overshadowed him, but that was beside the point.)

He never minded the rumors. He had much more pressing matters on his mind than trivial gossip.

Such as what to do about his future. Or more precisely, about the thousand's of people's futures of which he would soon have to destroy.

Van had always said that he was created to die. He was meant to be kindling for the Light of the Sacred Flame, so that his original could go on fulfill his destiny. He had already come to terms with it, but that still didn't mean he wanted an entire city to go with him. They had people who would mourn them, and be sad for their passing. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting so many people. It made him sick to his stomach.

He'd always followed Van. Van was his creator, his provider, and his protector. The man had (tried to) stamped principals and ideals into his head since his creation. (Not that most of them stuck. He had his own ideals that didn't come from Van.) Without Van, he wasn't sure if he could make it alone.

It felt like he was a small wall trying to protect its people from a tsunami. The grand tower of water stretched in all directions, looming threateningly above it, blocking the sun out with its shear mass. How could a small wall, such as himself, possible hope to protect people from something that huge? But he'd be damned if he didn't at least try. Akzeriuth was counting on him!

And it wasn't like his stupid original was going to do anything, either. Even _if _he knew about it, he'd still follow the score and bring destruction to himself and the city. There's no way he'd do anything to keep his country from its promised so called 'prosperity'. Yes, peace on the corpses of thousands of people should be _very_ fulfilling.

He sighed. He picked up a stone lying on the ground. He tested it, tossing it up into the air a few times and letting it drop back into his hand. Then, he threw it at a nearby fountain with all his might. It made a satisfying splash that broke the prolonged silence.

"Are you trying to kill the fountain or what?" He jumped at the voice, turning to meet a blonde haired, blue eyed man, his face dripping with amusement.

"As if," he snapped back, pulling his mask off to reveal vibrant green eyes and a young, but handsome face.

The blonde man laughed. "You seem frustrated about something."

"Go away."

"Is it Luke?"

The red-haired boy flinched, glaring at the blonde man. He couldn't hid anything from his best friend, could he?

"You still hate him, right?"

The boy hesitated. "Not really. I've gotten over it."

The man shook his head. "You're a lot stronger than I am, you know that?"

"No," the red head looked away. "Just leave me alone."

"But you're an idiot. Idiots can't be left alone to their thoughts, otherwise they'll come up with all sorts of stupid ideas."

"Hey! I am not!" the boy protested.

"What's really bothering you?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone."

The blonde man sighed. His best friend rarely ever pushed him away. He was the sort of person that hated secrets. He couldn't keep one for the life of him, and he was a terrible liar. But at the same time, he hated burdening other people with his problems and getting them involved in his troubles. It was his way of protecting them. So, he pushed them away. It was the only way he really knew how to deal with things. And so, the only choice the man had was to stay by his best friend's side and make sure nothing happened himself. "Alright. Just don't get any funny ideas."

The boy watched as his best friend's silhouette as it was swallowed by the darkness of the night. It was about time he was heading back...

But he didn't want to go.

Today would mark the beginning of fulfilling the purpose of his creation. He would become the fuel the Sacred Flame required in order to shine. He would die so the the flame could shine on. He was weak, the flame was strong, so it would consume him.

Unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter.

His foot steps echoed through the hallway as he entered the Oracle Knights Headquarters. Van was waiting for him.

"Time to leave, replica Luke."

* * *

**To be continued**


	2. Dominos

**A/N: Now, if you haven't guessed already, this is an AU fict in which our canon Luke and Asch basically switch places. So, Luke is with the Oracle Knights, while Asch is in Baticul. But, unfortunately, Asch would still be called Luke, and Luke would probably be called something else. I have a few ideas for Luke's name, but I'm still undecided. So, if anyone has any suggestions, please tell them to me! Thank you in advanced for reading, please review, and enjoy!**

**Warnings: Slight OOCness (I have trouble with this. Please tell me if a character is too OOC) and swearing.**

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_ND2000: In Kimlasca shall be born one who inherits the power of Lorelei. He will be a boy of royal blood with hair of red. He shall be called the Light of the Sacred Flame. And he will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to new prosperity._

_ND2002: The One Who Would Seize Glory shall destroy the land upon which he was born. A land by the name of Hod. War shall thereafter persist between Kimlasca and Malkuth for a full cycle of seasons._

A lone woman stood in a dark room. Her long, sandy hair cascaded down her back and fell into her face, giving her an alluring mysterious aura. She stood in front of a glowing blue glyph, which provided the only light in the room, with a determined yet sorrowful look.

"So, the time has come. Prepare..." she said forlornly as she stepped forward. The glyph activated, enveloping her in light. And then, she was gone.

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**Chapter I: Dominos  
**

Luke slowly cracked an eye, a lone beam of sunshine annoyingly working its way past his curtains and onto his face. He _really _didn't want to get up. The bed was comfy... the floor was hard... the blanket was warm... the air was cold... But, he to get up. He didn't need to give Natalia more reasons to call him lazy.

He kicked off the blanket and hurriedly got dressed. However, his morning activities were quickly halted by a splitting pain.

"Damn headaches," he muttered, pressing his temple. Ever since his kidnapping seven years ago, he'd always had strange headaches. It probably had something to do with all the weird things they did to him during that time, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember most of it. The doctors said he was just blocking his memory. However, he still had his reservations.

_Luke... fragment... of my soul... head... voice..._

And now he was hearing voices again. He needed some fresh air before he succumbed to insanity. Oh, wait, too late.

Once the headache subsided, he exited his room and made his way out to the courtyard. But on his way there, he was stopped by Ramdas, the head servant of the Fabre Manor. Ramdas was stiff, old, and stern. There was never a fold out of place on his suit, never a crumb on the floor (at least on his watch), and never the slightest thing out of place. The man was a perfectionist, nearly to a fault.

"The Order of Lorelei Maestro, Dorian General Van Grants is waiting in the drawing room with the Lord and Lady." Ramdas bowed respectfully.

"That's strange. Today's not a training day, so what's Van doing here?" He wondered aloud.

"I've heard he's here on urgent business."

Luke nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you. I'll head there now." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Ramdas. There went his fresh air. He quickly closed the distance between him and the door, entering the drawing room.

"Ah, Luke, glad you decided to join us," Van smiled as he entered the room, Luke making sure to send his trademark glare at his master. He didn't even bother trying to hide his hatred of the Dorian General anymore.

"Luke, take a seat," his father gestured to an open seat next to Van. He frowned, opting to take the one next to his mother instead. Much safer there.

"Van, what's wrong? Why are you here?" Luke inquired curiously.

"Luke! Show some respect. He's your teacher," Duke Fabre scolded.

"Shut up! You have no right to correct me!"

"I'm your father! Of course I do!"

"Then start acting like it!"

"Luke, so help me I'll-" the duke was stopped by a soft tug on his arm. He turned to look into his wife's pleading eyes.

"Please, calm down," she begged. The yelling matches between her son and husband were quit frequent, but she hated them all the same. She understood why they fought. She really did. But that didn't mean she had to like it. It was normally up to her to stop their fights. But at the very least, it meant that they were acknowledging each others presence.

"Forgive me," Van said. "My presence is partly to blame for this."

"Don't worry yourself," Susanne smiled. Luke and Duke Fabre remained silent.

"Back on topic, what are you doing here Van? Ramdas told me about some urgent business," Luke asked.

"I'm here to inform you that I'm returning to Daath. The Fon Master is missing, so I've been called on to look for him," he explained.

"Fon Master Ion? Why haven't I heard of this?" Luke asked, slightly annoyed he wasn't informed about such an important matter.

"With everything that's been going on, matters of Daath have taken a back seat," Duke Fabre provided.

"Alright, are there any clues yet?"

"Luke, this matter doesn't concern you. You should prioritize Kimlasca matters. Your country _is _on the brink of war," Duke Fabre said.

Luke remained silent, glaring at his father, who returned it with equal intensity.

Trying to ease the tension, Van said "Luke, would you like to train with me before I leave?"

"I think I'll pass," Luke said as he stood up to leave.

"Wait!" Duke Fabre's voice was laced with annoyance and anger. "Luke, I've taught you better. Do not be so rude and arrogant as to refuse extra training from your instructor. Do you wish to become sloppy?"

Luke's eyes flashed dangerously. "I don't need _either _of you to be strong. I can do it on my own." And with that, Luke stormed out of the room, leaving the sound of the door slamming as a final testament to his anger.

* * *

Van watched with mild amusement as his... _pupil _left. Honestly, he had hoped that the boy would have forgotten everything about the general's involvement in his kidnapping, but apparently not. And, subsequently, the young noble had little faith in him.

He needed Luke on his side, the stupid replica just wouldn't do.

It was a problem.

And there was nothing Van hated more than problems.

But, at the very least, it would be fixed soon.

* * *

Luke, still fuming, made his way to the entrance.

Maybe he was over reacting, but his father was so infuriating! He didn't even know why, but something about the man just graded on his nerves.

Visiting Natalia would calm him down. She would tell him he was being stupid, and then give him a bunch of different ways to fix the situation which he would ignore. Then, they'd go on a walk and greet their future subjects. Finally, they'd visit the cliff where they made their promise and watch the sunset, successfully wasting most of the day.

But, a his plans would have to wait.

"_Toue rei zue kuroa ryuo toue zue._"

For, the manor had an unexpected visitor.

* * *

"Hey, what do you think your doing?"

The red headed replica cursed under his breath, and sheepishly turned to see his best friend. The blonde had caught him red handed with his packed bag and traveling clothes while trying to leave the city, and of course, him sneaking off without even telling his best friend was inexcusable. "Fresh air?"

"Not even close. If you're going to lie, at lest make it convincing."

"Alright," the red head sighed. "Van ordered me on a solo mission. I wasn't allowed to tell you because you'd want to come with me, with or without Van's permission."

"Damn right," he smirked. "He knows me too well."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to try and follow and then I'll have to tie you somewhere until I leave, or will you be nice and stay here on your own?" the replica joked.

"Hm..." the blonde though for a moment. "How about I just come with you? We all know you can't take care of yourself."

"No, this time, I need to go by myself," he said glumly. "There are some things that you can't get involved in, and this is one of them. If I have to, I _will _call the Oracle Knights."

His best friend snorted. He had obviously lost this battle, but the war was far from lost. "Fine, all stay."

"Thanks, Guy," the replica smiled gratefully.

Guy shrugged, and left in much the same way he had the other night.

The red head turned and started down the road that lead out of Daath. In truth, he would have much preferred to have Guy with him. Guy was good at navigating, so he would have had to worry about getting lost. (Of course, he had factored in an extra week for 'lost time'.) Guy was better at bargaining, and cooking, and setting camp up. He would've made this trip much easier.

But he couldn't endanger Guy like that.

The first domino was already falling, and the others would soon follow. One after the other, they'd all fall into place to complete Van's plan.

Guy wouldn't become a domino. The replica wouldn't allow it.

Because Van's domino's were just that: tools to be discarded when they were no longer needed.

"And so, it finally begins."

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**To be continued**


End file.
